CES 2014: The death of Roku, and can UHDTV succeed where 3D TV failed?

If CES 2013 was the death of 3D TV, then CES 2014 is the death of Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, and other digital media streamers/players. With the continued push towards smart TVs with built-in streaming apps, 4K displays that have an embedded Android media player, UHDTVs breaking below $1000, and news that Roku will release a line of TVs that come pre-loaded with the company’s streaming software, the standalone media streamer is fast approaching the end of its life.

For the last five years, media streamers have taken massive advantage of the rather odd fact that most households go a very long time between TV upgrades. Historically, the upgrade cycle was around eight years. In recent years, with the release of the HDTV spec and free-to-air digital broadcasts, a lot of households interrupted their usual upgrade cycle and jumped on the HDTV bandwagon. For the most part, though, if a household already has a circa-2007 42-inch 1080p TV (which they bought at great expense), they are in no rush to upgrade.Back in 2007, streaming media didn’t really exist; YouTube was only just getting off the ground, and Netflix wouldn’t offer an unlimited streaming service until 2008. Digital streaming has only really taken off in the last few years, as services like Netflix, iTunes, Spotify, and BBC iPlayer have improved their libraries and quality of service to the point where they’re the easiest way to consume media. TV makers have responded with plenty of smart TVs that can stream digital media from the internet or a local source, but when faced with spending $500 on a new TV or $50 for a Roku, consumers have (very sensibly) opted for the standalone media streamer.

Now, though, as households finally look to replace their aging HDTV sets, it’s time for the digital media player to say farewell. The vast majority of new TVs announced at CES 2014 will have network connectivity and digital media streaming functionality built in. Roku, the king of cheap and cheerful media streamers, has announced that it’s working with six TV manufacturers to produce a line of Roku TVs with its streaming software built in. Lenovo is releasing a 28-inch 4K monitor (the ThinkVision 28) that also runs Android, allowing you to run all of the usual media streaming apps.